Brighton & Hove Albion will welcome Aston Villa to the Amex Stadium on Sunday afternoon as both clubs begin their 2026-27 Premier League campaigns.
Brighton are preparing for a 10th consecutive season in the top flight after securing back-to-back eighth-place finishes under Fabian Hurzeler. The Seagulls also earned a Conference League playoff spot, although their preparations have been complicated by a busy schedule.
Aston Villa arrive as reigning Europa League champions after defeating Freiburg 3-0 in May. Unai Emery’s side also secured Champions League qualification last season, but their summer has been turbulent, with several key players leaving and seven new signings arriving.
The visitors have dominated recent meetings, winning eight of their last 10 Premier League encounters with Brighton. Villa have also avoided defeat in their last four meetings with Hurzeler’s side.
Team News
Brighton will be without Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, Stefanos Tzimas and Evan Ferguson through injury, while Carlos Baleba is expected to join Manchester United. Promise David could make his debut, but Georginio Rutter is likely to start.
Villa are missing Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomes, Brian Madjo, Leon Bailey and Amadou Onana. Alejandro Garnacho and Tammy Abraham face late fitness tests, while Ollie Watkins’ availability remains uncertain amid transfer interest.
New signings Zion Suzuki, Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka could debut, while Pau Torres and Victor Lindelof are expected to form the centre-back partnership following Ezri Konsa’s departure.
Possible Lineups
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Weiffer, Dunk, Vuskovic, Kadioglu; Ayari, Gross; Gomez, Hinshelwood, De Cuyper; Rutter
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Hemmings; McGinn, Barkley, Buendia; Watkins
How to Watch
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Broadcast | SuperSport Premier League |
| Live Stream | dstv stream |
| Kick-off Time | 14:00pm (WAT) |
Match Prediction
Softfootball predicts Brighton 1-2 Aston Villa.
